NOT FROM PASTORS

25 MARCH
WHILST sexual abuse â€“ especially of minors â€“ is a heinous and deplorable crime that should be condemned from all angles, the crime becomes worse when committed by people who are in positions of trust.

Most sexual abuse crimes against minors are committed by people in these positions and many times the perpetrators are well known to the victims.

However, positions of trust and influence go a level deeper when the person is a religious leader.

Many current religious leaders are treated like demi gods, respected even more than parents and or marriage mates.

These people can easily influence people to do anything and using their power and influence to sexually abuse their followers â€“ a sick way to treat people who look up to you â€“ is one of the evil things religion has been used to foster.

Many religious or traditional leaders are taking advantage of their power and influence over people to sexually abuse their followers or clients.

People who do that do not deserve the titles healer, pastor, reverend etc.

They are in fact the opposite of what those titles imply.

You are not a healer if you destroy women and girls by sexually abusing them.

You are no evangelist or man of the cloth when you maim the very people you are supposed to minister to, going against the very dictates of the God you claim to worship.

Too many times now, prophets have duped or abused well-meaning clients using religion to propagate selfish interests.

Every week, we are seeing agents of fake prophets being exposed by the media for play acting to make people believe in false prophets and to get them more followers?

But the signs should have been visible years ago when prophets started mushrooming and setting up shrines all over the country.

Suddenly the country was full of miracles and powerful prophets hiding behind the name of God to swindle people of their money or to sexually abuse women.

Even the Bible attests to the fact that in the last days there shall be many false prophets,

Plenty of people are using religion and practice in traditional medicine to sexually abuse innocent women and girls.

Throwing such men behind bars is the best way to protect women, children and vulnerable members of our society from crimes like sexual abuse and or rape.

It is shocking that in this era, the number of people committing crimes as barbaric as rape and sexual abuse is actually increasing.

It is shocking that â€“ with all the publicity of anti-sexual abuse stories and all the lessons that are being made of rapists â€“ there are still people who find rape or sexual abuse as an option.

It is even more appalling that people are using religion, or to be more apt, GOD, to commit this crime.

The cases keep propping up and only custodial sentences can help rid society of such criminals.

The police have confirmed that the increase of adult rape cases was a result of false prophets luring women to their shrines before raping them.